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RCRA
The Congress enacted RCRA, which refers to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, in 1976 to govern the operations of environmental, health and safety organizations, including Safe T Professionals. Here, we fully comply with this law. Before that time, the United States relied on the Solid Disposal Act of 1965, which could not address emerging safety needs.
The 1976 law empowers the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to control the use and disposal of hazardous wastes. The objectives of the act are to:
- Protect both humans and the environment from waste disposal hazards
- Use waste recycling to conserve natural resources and energy.
- Decrease or eradicate the number of hazardous wastes that are produced
- Successfully promote the management of wastes in a way that protects human health
Safe T professionals' corrective action approach
In compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, we use a phased approach to protect lives and the environment. We follow these specific steps:
1. Facility Evaluation
When we are called upon to execute any corrective action, our professionals start by involving the regulating authority. We work closely with the oversight body, the owner of the facility and the operator to determine whether the hazardous chemicals have potentially polluted the environment.
Among other critical things, we review all the relevant records, visit the facility and study how the facility has been operating. If the regulatory authority deems it necessary, we sample both water and the soil. During this initial stage, our objective is to find out whether we need to carry out further professional investigation.
2. Facility Investigation
If the overseeing authority determines the need for additional investigation during the initial stage, we then officially take over the job as an accredited environmental consultant.
Safe T Professionals’ trained experts use the RCRA inspection checklist to write a detailed work plan that covers the nature of soil or ground sampling that we need to do to be able to establish the magnitude of any contamination.
Once we submit this to the overseeing body, we give them time to study and approve it. In a few cases, they may require amendments, which we are always ready to do to meet the highest standards possible. Upon approval, we are prepared to start implementing our work plan. However, the regulatory authority can also require us to conduct corrective measure evaluations.
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3. Corrective Measures investigations
If the EPA requires us to conduct some form of cleanup, they are likely to ask us to move on to this step. Here, we outline several possible cleanup alternatives. The overseeing authority reserves the right to consult the public on the ideal remedy selection before approving the study. Once the body gives us the go-ahead, we embark on the actual implementation phase.
4. Implementation of the Approved Corrective measures
At this final stage, our specialists discuss the selected remedy and the implementation schedule. We abide by the requirements of the regulator. Upon the approval of the completed work, the case can be closed.
How safe t professionals characterizes waste
Safe T Professionals uses the same parameters that the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act provides to characterize hazardous wastes. When our safety experts discover any of these features in your waste, we conclude that they merit RCRA regulation as perilous. The main parameters that we use here:
Ignitability
When you ask us to assess the safety of your waste, we consider whether they are ignitable. According to the EPA, we must use specific methods to test whether any substance falls under this D001 category.
As a rule, we qualify any liquid with flashpoints that are less than 60 degrees centigrade and non-liquids that can cause fire to be hazardous. Moreover, we include oxidizers and ignitable compressed gases in the group of ignitable wastes.
The methods that we use to test ignitability include:
- Pensky-Martens Closed-Cup
- Setaflash Closed-Cup
- The Ignitability of Solids
Corrosivity
EPA codes waste that falls under this class as D002. We consider all aqueous materials with a pH value of 2 or less as corrosive. The wastes with a Ph of 12.5 and above or those that can corrode steel also fall in the same class.
To test the ability of waste material to corrode steel, we use the Corrosive Towards Steel Method.
Reactivity
We also categorize wastes that have a high potential to be hazardous because of their reactivity nature as unsafe. These substances can be unstable under normal circumstances. They are likely to react with liquids and release toxic gases. Many of them can also be detonated either when heated or under normal conditions. Currently, there are no standard tests for the group D003 wastes.
Toxicity
Toxicity is the last classification of wastes, according to the EPA. It assigns them a series of codes that runs from D004 through to D043. These codes correspond to the relevant contaminants and the degree of concentration.
How safe t professionals Handles mixed waste
Since Safe T Professionals have trained nuclear safety experts, we professionally dispose of materials that contain radioactive elements. The 1976 Act regulates all types of mixed wastes. We also cooperate with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy (DOE), which the law mandates to deal with the radiological component of the wastes.
When we are required to assess the safety of wastes from non-DOE and commercial facilities, we get in touch with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Otherwise, for DEO facilities, we work closely with the Department of Energy.
As you can see, we have the capacity to handle all types of wastes regardless of the level of danger that they pose to human beings, animals and the environment.
Common Ways our safety experts dispose of hazardous waste
Safe T Professionals uses advanced methods to dispose of wastes. We take RCRA compliance seriously due to our commitment to preventing the associated hazards. Depending on the nature and type of the wastes, we use the following methods to dispose of them in accordance with the approved procedure.
Recycling
Whenever you find hazardous materials that can be recycled into safe and useful products, we do not hesitate to use this cost-effective method. For example, our experts safely treat lead-acid batteries so contractors can use the ashes to create quality pavement fillings. By doing this, we not only protect lives and the environment but also create the right investment opportunities for the users.
Landfill Disposal
Unlike in the past, today we create specific landfills that the regulator has approved for disposing of hazardous wastes. Through this method, we have been able to store a lot of waste underground and out of harm’s way.
These are not ordinary landfills. They’re all lined with double-layered non-porous materials that have the ability to prevent the leaching of hazardous waste into the ground. Once the wastes have been dumped inside the landfill, we cover it to ensure no living thing can enter inside. The only problem with this method is that it requires a lot of space, which explains why it is not common in places where excess land is rare.
Incineration
Incineration is currently a better option, as it requires limited space. We use this method to burn highly hazardous materials into incombustible residues. To mitigate any pollution risks, we start by detoxifying the waste. Some people may not prefer this method due to the high cost that is associated with it.
However, if your state allows incineration to be used to produce the steam that is required to drive huge electricity turbines, you may find it to be a cheap alternative. The produced heat can be used in incinerators to reduce the overall cost.
Our experts incinerate the waste that has chlorine, carcinogens, nitrogen, heavy metals or phosphorous with the right pollution control systems.
Safe Dumping at sea
We also dump at sea whenever appropriate to preserve the groundwater sources. However, unlike some companies in the past, we do not assume that the large volume of water can successfully dilute the hazardous content. Before we dump the wastes at sea, we comply with the RCRA regulations that require that we properly treat the waste.
However, we consider this the last option, as many of the methods that the regulator consider efficient are costly and difficult to use. We support the effort to minimize exposing marine life to danger.
Underground disposal
For radioactive waste, we prefer this method. It is both safe and economical. We use it to dispose of wastes from lab experiments, the production of nuclear power, specific medical treatments, radioactive ore and the like.
Pyrolysis
Safe T Professionals also use extremely high temperatures in a vacuum setting to eliminate some forms of waste. If we use an electrical arc, we ensure all the waste is melted into molten slags that are inert materials. After cooling, they solidify into rock-like materials. While this method is expensive, we can use it to destroy concentrated organic materials, such as pesticides.
Our experts can train your staff to handle the hazardous waste professionally before we come to collect them. However, they must meet the RCRA training requirement for us to involve them in any of the waste disposal processes.
